Hall Of Idols # 1: Angus Young

First installment in a series exploring very important people in my life.

Let me start explaining how this will work: I listed 65 idols of mine. Every Friday (with the exception of those reserved for the Rock Chain posts) I’ll draw one of the names (following a system that it’s really not important to be explained here) and talk about it.

Therefore, the order names will appear doesn’t necessarily shows where they rank in my preference. For example: Angus Young is not my greatest idol. He just happened to be the first to be drawn.

As a final introductory note, this is also not a biography article. I’ll just write how I feel about people represented in it, their talent and their importance in my life.

Scotland born, but Australia raised guitarist Angus Young is the driving force behind AC/DC. His image in a school uniform and a guitar is as iconic as anything regarding Rock and Roll.

Although he would be the first to say that the bulk of AC/DC’s sound actually comes from his older brother Malcolm Young riffs, it’s undeniable that without Angus licks and charisma, the band would never reach the pinnacles they did.

My first vivid memory of Angus is seeing the ultra-iconic “Highway to Hell” cover in my uncle’s record collection. A guy with horns and wearing a suit? That gotta be cool. However, I clearly remember thinking he was disguised as an ox. My naïve mind never thought about the devil when looking at that picture and I actually didn’t notice the pointed tail.

Later on (about 1992), I just went nuts when I watched the “Moneytalks” video on TV. I bought “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)” and “Who Made Who” from a local record store and all the others in a trip I made that very same year. AC/DC ranked as one of my favorite bands ever.

But the definitive moment came about a year later, from watching the Laserdisc (remember those?) from AC/DC Live at Donington. The first time I watched it I almost felt down on my knees in reverence to Angus, as soon as he appears over drummer’s Chris Slade playing the first licks to “Thunderstruck”. At that time, it was huge thing to be able to watch a video of that quality (remember: there was still no DVD, no Blu-Ray or internet). My uncles even came to my house to watch it.

However, obviously nothing can beat seeing a band live. And I had this opportunity in 1996 at the “Ballbreaker Tour”. I remember jumping up and down like a maniac like I had never done in my life. At the end of the concert I was so sweat that a lot of my friends thought I was going to faint. 12 years later, older and wiser, I watched them again at the “Black Ice” tour. This time I was at the stands, but Angus power didn’t diminished a bit.

Angus Young diminutive image in a school uniform holding a Gibson SG went down in history and now enters my Hall Of Idols. Welcome, mate.